CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue XIX, 8 November 1902, Page 1199

CHRISTCHURCH.

Dear Bee, October 28. The fair in aid of the Veterans’ Home came off in the Canterbury Hall last week, lasting two days. The success of it has surpassed everyone’s expectations, the amount realised being close on £6OO, but I do not think ' there have ever been so many willing workers at a function of the kind before, or such a state of perfection reached with any of the stock-in-trade. The “Posters” competition was a great source of attraction, and was one of the features of the fair. Twenty pretty girls in novel costumes filed up twice during the day, marched round the hall and then up on to the stage, going through some graceful evolutions, which had been carefully thought out by Mr Tankard. Miss E. Hill (Ballantyne and Co.) won the first prize, in white cloth dress, the top skirt tabbed, with the firm’s trade mark in crimson on each, also on bodice and sleeves, white picture hat with drooping ostrich feathers and crown of the red trade mark; Miss Isabel Hill (“Lyttelton Times”), white silk, the top skirt printed with the daily news, the bodice ornamented with bands of cerise, and the paper’s heading in gold lettering, a coronet with three gold stars on her head; Miss Wilder (Gas Company), pale green silk, the bodice strapped with white bearing the gold lettering, gold crown supporting an incandescent burner, a long tulle veil fell at the back; Miss Elworthy (Edmonds’ baking powder), a pretty gown of yellow and white silk, with fichu fastened with tiny loaf, powdered hair, with gold coronet and rising sun in front, and the advertisement in red letters; Miss Graham (Patty Pan baking powder), pink linen costume with wide

white band at the foot, with black lettering, white cap and apron; Miss Mabel Allan (Kinsey, Barns and Co.), white cloth dress with perpendicular stripes of red, flowing blue star spangled cloak, pointed gold coronet and spread eagle on staff; Miss A. Julius (E. Reece and Sons), dark green cloth shooting costume faced with fawn, Robin Hood hat, rifle and gun bag; Miss E. Newton (Turnbull and Jones Electric Light Co.), flowing dark blue gown and veil thickly studded with silver stars, concealing battery which rang bells and connected her with the telephone, electric star in her hair; Miss Kettle (Canterbury Seed Co.), crimson silk short skirt with deep hem of prairie grass, zouave of Hessian lettered at the back and edged with beans, yellow silk sash tied nt the side, mingled with miniature corn sacks, red turban, shoes and stockings, and peas and beans threaded for necklace and bracelets; Miss R. Campbell (Wood’s flour), white satin short skirt with band of red, ornamented with fiuy sacks of flour, white apron with black lettering, powdered hair and small loaf on top; Miss Thomas (Booth and Macdonald), green skirt, large wliite apron with black lettering, black gelvet embroidered corselet, on her head a model of the “Star” windmill, and black velvet coronet with two silver stars, she also had a windmill on her staff; Miss G. Thomas (Veterans’ Home), long white silk with the words in gold across the front, powdered ha.ir and black picture hat; Miss Ross (D.1.C.), a lovely modern dress of silk grass lawn over heliotrope, finished with lace and black velvet, hat to match with white feathers and violets; Miss Nancarrow (Nelson, Moate and Co.), long white nun’s veiling gown with lettering across the front, black velvet hat with pagoda crown and band of gold jvith trade'mark in gold in front; Miss M. Cocks (Bonnington’s Irish Moss), white nun’s veiling with hem of green moss, the advertisement in green, green coronet, and gold harp standing up out of the green moss; Miss Molyneux (Mason, Struthers and Co.), peasant’s dress of brown and embroidered corselet bodice, white chemis-

ette, pale grey apron with the advertisment. in silver, large white cap with outspread wings of the russet brown and white lappets; Miss M. Ross (Skelton, Frostlck and Co.), white silk dress with '’Zealandia” in red across the front, white Napoleon hat and red shoe; Miss Muriel Anderson (K Jam), green costume much covered with fruit and lettering, coronet and gold K and jam tin x>n staff; Miss Irene Wilson (Matson and Co.), white dress with two deep flounces of scoured wool sparkling with powdered glass, wig of same with two golden horns, purple sash across the front with silver lettering. Each girl carried a staff to complete the advertisement, and any of these costumes would make a most effective fancy dress. The flower stall met the eye first on entering, occupying the centre, octagonal in shape, all the wood covered with gorse and greenery, with a wealth of blossom beside. Here reigned Mesdames R. D. Thomas, Bloxam and Beswick, the Misses Thomas, B. Julius, Bloxam, D. Meares, ami others. The produce stall had a tempting array, and here the temptresses were Mesdames W. Reece, Appleby, J. Anderson, W. Stringer and R. Struthers, with assistants. The cushion stall holders had a busy time. You would have thought no one in Christchurch possessed a cushion, so great was the demand, and Mesdames Waymouth, de Vries, (Dr.) Thomas and Beals, with the Misses Waymouth (2), Thomas, and others, had as much as they could do. The sweet stall was like a hive of bee£. This was cared for by Mesdames Morton Anderson, R. Anderson, Irving and Graham. The doll and ice cream stall had Mesdames Stead and Louisson at the head, assisted by Misses Stead, Louisson (2), Taylor, Allen and Campbell. A variety stall did well under Mesdames Secretan, Ryan and Bates, with assistants; but. the greatest rush of all was on the tea room, and with very scanty accommodation, but the best was made of it by Mesdames C. Clark, Wigley, W. Hood, H. Wood, Webb, J. C. Palmer, the Misses Aipger, Julius, Denniston, and others, Mrs Weston acted as secretary and

Mrs Wigram general supervisor. The hat trimming competition by gentlemen wa? a source of much amusement; there was music at intervals, also physical drill by school children, and other items to pass the time. I mentioned last week our hopes to finish the Cathedral, and since then a munificent gift has come in from Mr R. M. Morton, of Riccarton, of £ 1000, and the Rhodes family are again desirous of rebuilding the spire.

DOLLY VALE.